Friday’s featured high school football games: Los Altos, Diamond Ranch have tough first-round tests

Matchup: The Falcons are speedy enough to put a major scare into the Minutemen. And you wonder if some of that speed will be used to nullify Maranatha standout running back Caleb Devine. If Duarte can stop Devine (good luck), and come up with some big plays on offense while avoiding mistakes, this could be an upset. The Falcons can look at the fact that league mate Azusa dealt Maranatha a 19-point loss back in Sept. Just nobody tell them that was before Devine got eligible.

Baldwin Park vs. Arroyo

Kickoff: Arroyo HS, 7 p.m.

Records: Baldwin Park 7-3; Arroyo 9-1

Matchup: Arroyo enters fresh off a grueling 17-13 win over rival Rosemead for the Mission Valley League title. Anyone feeling hung over? If the Knights bring their A-game, this one probably gets out of hand. QB Nathan Coto is usually good for one or two huge plays in the pass game and the way the Knights defense has been playing, that might be enough. Yes, the Braves have a nice record, but they never had that breakthrough moment this season and it doesn’t appear Friday will be the night.

Rosemead vs. Pomona

Kickoff: Pomona HS, 7:30 p.m.

Records: Rosemead 8-2; Pomona 9-1

Matchup: Both teams will need to get up off the mat after suffering rough losses, albeit in totally different ways, last week. Rosemead is about as physical as it gets in this division. But the Panthers are also a bit limited offensively. It would behoove Pomona to get off to a fast start and get Rosemead out of its comfort zone, i.e. pass. You’ll know by the second quarter if the Panthers are getting their preferred pace because the score will be something like 7-3

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Gabrielino vs. San Dimas

Kickoff: San Dimas HS, 7 p.m.

Records: Gabrielino 7-3; San Dimas 6-4

Matchup: Despite a poor showing in the nonleague, the Saints still ended up with a predictable bottom line: a league championship and a top-four seed. San Dimas’ offense is rolling and that’s bad news for opponents who aren’t used to it. That would be Gabrielino, which may be forced to trade punches in order to keep up. The Eagles have a decent passing game, but the more you throw, the more prone you are to mistakes. At least that’s what they say in San Dimas.

SOUTHEAST DIVISION

Santa Fe vs. Diamond Ranch

Kickoff: Diamond Ranch HS, 7 p.m.

Records: Santa Fe 6-4; Diamond Ranch 9-1

Matchup: Let us not forget that Santa Fe was the team that upset No. 1 La Mirada in last year’s quarterfinals. The Chiefs have proven to be mighty dangerous when people least expect it. Now would be one of those times considering how bad they struggled in every step-up game in league. The Panthers will try to bully the visitor tonight and just might do it behind a big offensive line. Diamond Ranch has legitimate chance for a deep run, but the Panthers do need to take their game up a notch at some point. Friday would be as good a time as any.

Paramount vs. Los Altos

Kickoff: Los Altos HS, 7:30 p.m.

Records: Paramount 7-3; Los Altos 8-2

Matchup: Arguably the best matchup of the first round. The Pirates are far from a No. 3 team. In fact, they tied for the San Gabriel Valley League title but came up on the short end of the tiebreaking coin flip. Los Altos closed the season with a nice win over a red-hot West Covina team. It was a good tune-up for what will be an even more physical game. Paramount is simply huge along both lines and the Pirates won’t do anything but try to lean on the Conquerors. This one is too close to call.

West Covina vs. Norwalk

Kickoff: La Mirada HS, 7 p.m.

Records: West Covina 5-5; Norwalk 10-0

Matchup: It appears both of these teams are going to line up and simply slug it out. Neither wants to play it any other way. Can West Covina bang with Norwalk long enough to pull out a stunner? Probably not. Can this game stay close longer than your usual No. 1 seed vs. at-large matchup? Certainly. Norwalk may not be a world beater, but the Lancers are very good at what they do. Anybody wondering should check into how each team fared against their one common opponent Diamond Bar. It doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the Bulldogs.

NORTHWEST DIVISION

Torrance vs. Azusa

Kickoff: Citrus College, 7 p.m.

Records: Torrance 4-6; Azusa 8-2

Matchup: Kudos to the Aztecs for winning the Montview League, but it’s time for another good run in the postseason. The good news is that Azusa avoided one of the five Tri-Valley League teams that should dominate the division. The bad news is that Torrance won’t be a pushover. The Aztecs are going to have to play a clean game and not give the visitor anything for free. A healthy dose of running back Cameron Blackburn would be a good place to start.

Cerritos Valley Christian vs. La Puente

Kickoff: La Puente HS, 7:30 p.m.

Records: Valley Christian 4-6; La Puente 7-4

Matchup: Here’s where having a capable passing game comes in handy. La Puente has that with QB Jacob Tovar and receiver Jose Ochoa have been a potent combo this season. The Warriors are going to need a few big plays out of them to get past the first round. Like Azusa, the Warriors caught a break not drawing a Tri-Valley League team. This one appears headed toward a shootout because Valley Christian hasn’t stopped a good opponent all year and La Puente is susceptible to giving up points.